Mail-box.



PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907.

' 0. M. HARTWBLL.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26. 1907.

A TTORNE VS FFIQ.

CHARLES M. HARTWELL, OF MARION, OHIO.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

Application filed January 26, 1907. Serial No. 354,344.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. HART- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes of that character designed to be placed upon the doors of residences, offices, etc.

The object of the invention is to provide a box having a closure provided with novel means for automatically looking it, said means being actuated from the opposite or inner side of the door for the purpose of unlocking the closure.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the box and its alarm, showing a door in section; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the box, portions thereof being broken away to show the interior construction.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1 is a box having its side Walls 2 tapered toward their lower end and fastened to a door A or other structure by means of plates 3 which are suitably secured to the inner edges of the side Walls 2 and to the face of the door. The top 4 of the box has a slot 5 therein through which mail is adapted to be inserted, therebeing a guide flange 6 upon the lower face of the top 4 and adjacent the slot to deflect the mail forward within the box. Resting upon the top edges of the side walls of the box is a lid 7 which is preferably attached to the box by means of hinges 8. This lid, when in its normal position, is inclined as shown in Fig. 1, and extends beyond the front face of the box. This face consists of a closure 9 having tapered side strips 10 secured along the side portions thereof and adapted .to assume positions within the box when closed. The strips 10 are connected at their inner edges by a cross plate 11, thereby forming a pocket 12 into which the mail will fall upon being inserted through slot 5. The closure 7 has trunnions 13 at its lower end which bear within the sides of the box 1.

The upper edges of each strip 10 has a notch 14 therein which constitutes a seat for a locking bail 15 the ends of which are outturned as at 16 and bear within the sides of the box 1. The upper inner corner of each of the strips 10 is bevefed as shown at 17 and it is obvious that when the closure 9 is pressed inward these beveled edges will contact with bail 15 and press it upward until the notches assume positions thereunder, whereupon the bail will drop by gravity into the notches and lock the closure. The flange 6 prevents the mail from contacting with any part of the locking mechanism.

In order that the closure may be unlocked, a rod 17 extends through the door 2 and has a crank 18 at one end and within the box. Another crank 19 is disposed at the other end of the rod. When it is desired to unlock the closure crank 19 is partly rotated, and will cause the crank 18 to swing upward against the bail 15 and lift it out of the notches 14. The closure can then swing outward upon its trunnions 13. By arranging the parts in this manner, it will be seen that the box can only be opened by a person within the residence or office, and by providing the flan e 6 unauthorized persons are unable to un ock the closure by inserting tools or other devices through the slot 5.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A mail box having a hinged closure, a strip extending into the box from the closure and having a notch, a locking bail within the box and normally seated by gravity within the notch, and means for lifting the bail from engagement with said strip.

2. A mail box having a movable closure, a notched strip extending from the closure and movable into the box, a bail normally seated by gravity within the notch to lock the closure, and a bail lifting device within and extending from the box.

3. A mail box having a movable closure, a notched strip extending therefrom and projecting into the box, said strip having a beveled portion, a pivoted bail within the box and adapted to be contacted and raised by said beveled portion, said bail being normally seated within the notch, and manually operated means for unseating the bail.

4. A mail'box having a hinged closure, a notched strip movable therewith and adapted to project into the box, a bail pivoted within the box and normally seated in the notched and beveled, a locking bail pivoted Within the box and normally seated Within the notches, said bail being adapted to rest 15 in the path of the beveled portions, and manually operated means for unseating the bail. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES M. HARTWELL. Witnesses:

A. J. WHITING, J. R. LUNGER. 

